Mercy Ships UK Onboard Magazine | Spring 2022 by Mercy Ships UK

mercyships.org.uk | Spring 2022 | Issue 15

News and stories from the Mercy Ships Community

dreams You’ve made Mansare’s

come true

Onboard magazine Contents Welcome

Find out the impact you’ve made through our vaccines appeal. Page 11

Our annual Lent Kindness calendar Pages 6 and 7

Find out how fundraising runs in this family Page 9

Why Moira loves volunteering with Mercy Ships Page 8

You’re helping to create a legacy of health in Africa Page 10

Founded in 1978 by Don and Deyon Stephens, Mercy Ships is a faith-based organisation that follows the 2,000-year old model of Jesus. Bringing hope and healing through hospital ships and in-country training has been the mission of Mercy Ships for more than 40 years. Thanks to your support, those suffering from painful and preventable diseases can find the care they desperately need. Mercy Ships seeks to transform individuals and strengthen healthcare systems, leaving a lasting legacy in every nation we partner with.

Mercy Ships UK, The Lighthouse, 12 Meadway Court, Stevenage SG1 2EF mercyships.org.uk 01438 727800 info@mercyships.org.uk

Registered Charity No: 1053055. Registered Charity in Scotland No. SC039743. 02 Company No: 3147724 (England and Wales)

How to scan a QR code with your camera app We’ve introduced a number of QR codes with your latest issue of Onboard. These are a quick and easy way to find out more information, such as, watch an inspiring video, make a donation or find out more from our website. Why not give them a go! Here’s how to get started with QR codes: 1. Open your phone’s camera app. 2. Hold your device so that the QR code appears in the viewfinder in the camera app. Your device will recognise the QR code and display a notification. 3. Tap the notification to open the link associated with the QR code.

Onboard magazine Reflection

Thank you for loving without counting the cost Above: Mansare with his mother Simone.

When I think of supporters like you the story of the Good Samaritan comes to mind. The story goes of a traveller whose journey was interrupted by thieves and robbers. He is beaten up and left for dead on the roadside.

are choosing to be a good neighbour to someone who needs you.

Different people pass by the clearly injured man, but they choose to avoid him. Finally, a Samaritan comes by, and he helps the man, showing compassion and mercy.

I am grateful that when it comes to helping children like Mansare (read his story on pages 4 and 5) or supporting doctors like Abram Wodomé (find out more on page 10) you do not ask ‘Are they worthy of my love, my time or attention?’ but you help and support them like the Samaritan did, without counting the cost.

Just like the traveller, our patients have had their journeys of life interrupted. Some by disease and others by accidents or tragedies beyond their control. In the story, the first men both saw someone who needed help, but they chose to look away. Perhaps they thought ‘I don’t know him, he’s not a friend or my neighbour, why should this concern me?’ But the Samaritan, however, chose to be a good neighbour to a stranger. He chose to cover the cost of treatment. This is how you are. You are a loving and compassionate person like the Good Samaritan. Every time you give to Mercy Ships, every time you serve onboard our hospital ships or inspire others to do so through your fundraising and volunteering, you

LinkedIn /mercy-ships-uk

That’s why I’m so grateful that you choose to walk the path of the Samaritan.

On behalf of our Mercy Ships patients, thank you so much for loving and caring for those who desperately need life-changing surgeries. Thank you for giving, for volunteering, for being part of Mercy Ships worldwide family of caring and loving neighbours.

Joanne Balaam Chief Executive Officer

mercyships.org.uk 03

Onboard magazine Mansare

TRANSFORMING LIVES

Thank you for filling Mansare’s life with love, joy and laughter Imagine for a moment that you are standing on the dock of the Africa Mercy watching Mansare dashing about, his frayed sandals flapping as he runs, his laughter bringing a smile to his mother’s face. “Look at him. Just look at him walk,” says his mother, Simone, her voice filled with delight. “He can really play now. Before, he would get tired and come back after ten minutes. His legs would hurt but his little heart would hurt even more, because other children would laugh at him. Now, at the end of the day I have to go find him because he’s so happy to be out playing.” The sight of an energetic little boy running and playing may not be remarkable to many, but for Mansare’s family it is a dream come true. A dream made possible by the generosity of supporters like you and by the dedication of our Mercy Ships volunteers.

Bowed legs and broken dreams

Daily activities like walking and running, which all the other boys in the village enjoyed, were an exhausting challenge for Mansare. He would often sit and watch other boys play football with tears in his eyes. Every time he tried to join in, they would laugh at him, and his legs would really hurt. His parent’s looked at their little boy struggling with his limited mobility and worried about his future. What would happen to Mansare when he grew up? What if they were unable to care for him, how would he cope? Then one day, out of the blue, they heard news of a hospital ship coming to their country and they dared to dream that their little boy might be able to finally be healed.

You see, Mansare grew up with a condition known as “bowed legs,” an ailment often caused by an underlying disease, like rickets, and worsened by malnutrition. Every day of his life, 4-year-old Mansare struggled with his orthopaedic condition.

A hospital ship bringing hope

As soon as she heard the news, Simone rushed to bring her son to the Africa Mercy hoping that he would be seen by volunteer nurses who could help him.

Onboard magazine Mansare

Be inspired by stories you have made possible everyday. Follow us on Instagram @mercyshipsuk

Images: Mansare, before, during and after his treatment onboard the Africa Mercy.

From outside the gate of the compound, Simone saw a large crowd of thousands of people and didn’t know if they would be able to get through. However, Mansare — plucky and cheerful— run ahead and slipped through the gate and into the compound. He then turned and waved to her from the other side, saying, “If you can’t get through, I will go and stand in line!” Once she got inside, Simone found Mansare standing in line by himself, unafraid, waving her over to join him. The truth is this little boy continued to be determined and brave throughout his time onboard the Africa Mercy, during his operation and long recovery.

Mansare’s healing is in sight After his free surgery onboard the Africa Mercy, Mansare spent several weeks recovering and relearning how to walk. He kept smiling even when he was sitting in casts for several weeks. And once he started his physiotherapy programme, Mansare was up and running. But Mansare’s transformation is much deeper than just in his appearance. Now he is free to be who he wants to be. To continue his education, to pursue his dreams and to live an independent and full life. He is embracing his new life with open arms and his confidence and joy spill out into everything he does.

Today Mansare seems like a new boy, inside and out! “Thank you for giving my son his life back. Your generosity and kindness touched his life and ours. He is not crippled by pain and anguish anymore. Now we do not have to worry about his future.

YOUR IMPAC T To find out more about Mansare, and the part you played in his transformation, scan the QR code to watch his short video.

LinkedIn /mercy-ships-uk

“I wake up every morning and I still can’t quite believe what has happened. Every time I see him walk. I am overjoyed.” As you can see from Mansare’s story your generosity and kindness coupled with the dedicated service of our Mercy Ships volunteers is transforming lives every day. Thank you so much for being part of such wonderful transformations.

mercyships.org.uk 05

MONDAY

TUESDAY

2 MARCH – 16 APRIL 2022 7

incredible woman in your life, how grateful you are for her.

thanking our NHS workers, but what about other service workers around us? Why not say remember to say thanks to the postie, the refuse collector and even the traffic warden today!

THURSDAY

TODAY IS THE START OF LENT! What will you give

We can all do with getting fitter, so why not set yourself a steps goal for Lent? It could be 5,000, 10,000 or even 15,000 steps a day or over a week.

SAY THANKS! We’re used to

WEDNESDAY

IT'S INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY Tell an

" When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people; as I grow older, I admire kind people.” Abraham Joshua Heschel

up over the next 40 days? Wine, cheese, chocolate, TV? And with the money you save, why not make a donation to Mercy Ships?

On WORLD BOOK DAY why not reflect on a book that has inspired you.

9/10 Our patients often come to the ship malnourished. It costs £30 a day to provide nourishing meals for a patient. Could you sponsor a patient's meals for a couple of days?

16 PAY IT FORWARD Why

not ask your local café if you can pay for an extra coffee so that if someone in need comes in, the staff can give them a hot drink for free.

17 It's ST PATRICK'S DAY! Are you brave enough to dress head to toe in green today? Let people know you're dressing up for Mercy Ships, so they can make a donation in support.

23/24

Scott Adams

Today is WORLD WATER DAY. Take a moment to appreciate the clean and safe water that comes straight out of your tap as you fill the kettle today.

29/30

Everyone has a lot of clutter in their house that they never use, so why not fill up a bag of unwanted goods take it to your local charity shop?

Will you help to restore a smile? Untreated toothaches can often lead to life-threatening tumours for our patients. Your gift of £25 could pay for a first visit to a dentist.

We eat 80 million Easter eggs each year! The Real Easter Egg is fairtrade, uses less plastic and makes a donation to charity. Visit www. meaningfulchocolate.co.uk

“ Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.

4/5

IS IT TIME TO REVIEW YOUR WILL?

Or even write a new one? After prioritising gifts to family and friends, why not consider leaving 1% of your estate to Mercy Ships. Visit legacy@mercyships.org.uk for resources and more information.

DID YOU KNOW?

“Busy.” It's a frequent response to “How are you?”, isn't it? There aren't enough hours in the day; you're rushed off your feet; you simply don't have the time. Why not take some time today and tomorrow to re-focus your energy on the people and things that matter.

Because of your support in 2021, Mercy Ships was able to perform over 17,000 medical procedures across 11 African nations. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

When was the last time you enjoyed a really good laugh? Why not revisit a book, a TV programme or even a friend who can be guaranteed to make you laugh out loud.

SCRAP THE SCHEDULE

Could you be a speaker for Mercy Ships, like Frances, whose story you can read on page 9. We’d love to hear from you, email info@mercyships.org.uk

12 Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” Henry James

START OF HOLY WEEK DID YOU KNOW? After you've finished with this copy of Onboard why not pass it to a friend to read?

One of Mercy Ships most memorable vessels, the Anastasis, means resurrection.

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

DID YOU KNOW?

16.9 million people die each year because they lack access to safe, affordable surgery. Through Mercy Ships you are helping to change that. Thank you!

11 DID YOU KNOW?

Friday at 10am on the Africa Mercy is waffle time. Why not join the crew on a well earned break by making and enjoying your own waffles today?

On the last Saturday of

FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT why not pick up some Fairtrade certified produce when you're out shopping, helping to ensure a fair price for farmers.

12 Why not text or WhatsApp a message to someone you've been meaning to get in touch with for ages?

" Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together.” Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

13 " Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference.” Helen James

kindness calendar 2022

20 18/19 Little Tresor is too cool for school! After his successful cataract operation, Tresor needed to wear special glasses to protect his sight. Your gift of £10 will help to provide a pair of glasses for our next patient.

25 Happy birthday to the Africa Mercy! Our flagship vessel purchased 23 years ago today, with your help, has gone on to bring hope and healing to more than 32,000 people!

1 APRIL FOOLS' DAY is

traditionally a day when we make jokes and pranks at someone else's expense, but how about starting a reverse April Fools' day? Use the day to share words of encouragement and give compliments instead.

26 Today is EARTH DAY join millions of people around the world at 8:30pm this evening and turn your lights off for an hour to show your support for the planet, raising awareness of climate change.

2 DID YOU KNOW?

Since 2005, a team of Gurkhatrained professionals have provided round the clock security and safety for our patients and crew onboard our hospital ship.

Today is INTERNATIONAL

DAY OF HAPPINESS

Counting your blessings is a sure way to feeling more grateful. Why not take some time to do that today?

27 On MOTHERING SUNDAY tell a significant woman in your life how much you appreciate her.

3 “ Do things for people not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are. Harold S. Kushner

8/9 It's great to freshen up after a long journey, isn't it? Our patients often have to travel 100s of miles over difficult terrain to get to the ship. Your gift of £15 can provide a patient with a care pack so they can freshen up after their long journey.

Today is GOOD FRIDAY. 'Hands that flung stars into space, to cruel nails surrendered' ‘The Servant King’ by Graham Kendrick

THANK YOU

" One of the most difficult things to give away is kindness; usually it comes back to you.” Anonymous

EASTER SATURDAY marks the end of Lent and our Lent Kindness Calendar. Thank you so much if you used this to fundraise. Please use the donation slip at the back of this magazine to send in your gift, or visit www.mercyships.org.uk/hope. Thank you.

We can never have enough kindness in our lives, can we? So why not join us over Lent (2 March - 16 April), as we journey through our annual Kindness calendar. There are moments of reflection, opportunities to fundraise, and activities to do. And at the end of Lent simply send through any money you have raised either by using the donation slip at the back of this magazine or visit

www.mercyships.org.uk/ hope

Onboard magazine Moira Munro

VOLUNTEER STORY

Moira: Why I love volunteering with Mercy Ships Absent-mindedly tuning her car radio, one evening after a late-night shift changed Moira Munro’s life forever. It was 2004 and Moira was a nurse at The Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital. As she listened to the radio programme her attention was caught by a charity she had never heard of before. She was deeply moved by the real-life stories of how lives were transformed through free surgery in Africa, and decided to join in.

Top Facts about super volunteer Moira!

“Listening to the interviews from the ship I was immediately interested. I had to apply,” she said. Before she knew it, a few months later she had arrived in Benin to volunteer onboard our hospital ship, the Anastasis. She met many patients and was overwhelmed by the amazing transformations she witnessed onboard. Looking back at those early days of volunteering Moira said: “I would never forget seeing these two teenage boys next to each other on the ward. They had come in with cleft lips and when they looked at the mirror after their operations their faces lit up with such joy.” Today, this 69-year-old grandmother of three is an experienced veteran to Mercy Ships having volunteered six times in the last 17 years! She has been to Madagascar, Cameroon, and Senegal serving as a nurse, a dining room assistant, a housekeeper, and a dental care assistant.

But no matter what role she has, the lifechanging transformations she has helped make possible are what keeps her coming back for more. When we asked Moira what she would say to future volunteers she replied: “I would say to anyone considering applying, go for it! How will you know until you try? It’s an incredible experience. There really is a job for everyone onboard.”

The number of years Moira has volunteered with Mercy Ships

The number of African nations Moira has visited as part of her volunteer trips

The number of ships that Moira has worked or had active service on. They are the Anastasis, the Africa Mercy and the Global Mercy

Thank you, Moira, for your years of selfless service and dedication onboard our hospital ships.

VOLUNTEERING Find out more about volunteering opportunities onboard our ships by scanning the QR code here.

Onboard magazine Volunteers

Be inspired by stories you have made possible everyday. Follow us on Instagram @mercyshipsuk

Veteran speaker gives her last talk When Frances King, a retired nurse from Lancashire first heard about Mercy Ships from a talk 20 years she was so inspired by what she heard she decided to volunteer onboard. “I was so inspired by this talk that I wanted to give something back. So, I went with Mercy Ships to Ghana in 2006. I was so moved by the life-saving work that I returned. Next to Liberia in 2008 and then to Togo in 2010.”

Sarah, Issac and Caleb make supporting Mercy Ships a family affair Mum-of-two, Sarah Noble, a teaching assistant from Haslemere, Surrey ran the Great South Run in Portsmouth last October and raised £1,000 for Mercy Ships. Sarah was toying with the idea of challenging herself to start running again and compete in an event when her nine-year-old son Isaac overheard the conversation. Isaac immediately said, ‘Mum, do it for Mercy Ships.’ As soon as he said it, it was an easy decision to make.

Even though Frances was a veteran volunteer by this point when she was asked to give a talk to her local Mothers’ Union about her experiences onboard, she was terrified. “I was scared of speaking in front of people.” recalls Frances. “My husband, Michael persuaded me to do it and helped me with my presentation. I thought I would only do it once!” But the invitations kept coming in! The impact of Frances’ talks has been was phenomenal, and the donations kept rolling in. This lovely grandmother of five who had a fear of public speaking has delivered more than 270 talks and has raised a whooping £76,000 for Mercy Ships.

What an incredible impact, Frances, and thank you from all of us at Mercy Ships!

Isaac had heard about the work of Mercy Ships at the Christian festival, Spring Harvest, when he was only seven. At the event, he watched a short film about the life of a child who lived onboard the Africa Mercy while her parents volunteered. The film so inspired Isaac that he has since done a number of different fundraising challenges like selling his toys and old books to raise money for Mercy Ships. His brother, seven-year-old Caleb also emptied his piggy-bank of coins into Sarah’s fundraising pot. Thank you, Sarah, Isaac, and Caleb, for your fundraising efforts, showing mercy and love to those in need.

LinkedIn /mercy-ships-uk

Above: Frances King with a cataract patient.

mercyships.org.uk 09

Onboard magazine Dr Abram Wodomé

TRANSFORMING LIVES

How one man is creating a legacy of health in Africa Dr Abram Wodomé is a former trainee and current partner of Mercy Ships. After completing his ophthalmic surgical training on the Africa Mercy, over a decade ago, he caught the passion for caring for people without counting the cost. But Abram admits he wasn’t always this selfless, after looking for opportunities to leave his native Togo and become successful in the West, but he says, “I began to see clearly that I had something to do here in Africa… that God had given me a role to play in the fight against cataract blindness in Togo and that change was really possible.” Instead of longing to live overseas, Dr Wodomé became passionate about changing lives right there in his own country.

“ I like to say, ‘if you give someone fish to eat, you feed him for a day. If you teach him to fish, you feed him for his whole life. But if you teach people how to teach others to fish, then you feed a village for a whole generation.’” Dr Abram Wodomé, ophthalmic surgeon, Togo.

Today he is Togo’s leading cataract surgeon and provides thousands of surgeries every year to visually impaired patients. Many of these surgeries are performed free of charge. Any funds raised by patients who choose to pay go toward funding charitable causes. Often Dr. Wodomé goes out of his way to make free surgeries happen. His team run door-to-door campaigns in remote regions of the country and organise rural patients’ transportation to the capital, Lomé.

Training local surgeons to transform more lives

YOUR IMPAC T

At the beginning of 2021, Mercy Ships partnered with Dr. Wodomé in a new way. We donated essential training equipment to enable him to launch and grow a special training programme that makes it possible for local surgeons to shadow him for three months. By working with Dr. Wodomé these local surgeons can learn special surgical techniques ideally suited for low resource settings. What’s more, they also learn how to train others, creating an exponential future impact.

Because of your investment in one surgeon, through training this has now grown to 35 ophthalmic surgeons in Togo. Learn more about the training that’s having an exponential impact by scanning the QR code.

We believe that this vital training programme can grow through leaps and bounds creating a growing community of trained ophthalmic surgeons who can give the gift of sight to thousands of patients in Togo and elsewhere in Africa.

Onboard magazine Emergency Appeal

VACCINES APPEAL UPDATE

Thank you so much for your generosity! Here’s an update on the impact that your incredible support has made to our recent COVID-19 Emergency Vaccines Appeal for Africa. In West and Central Africa, 7.4 million doses of the vaccine have now been delivered thanks to your support. This is enough to help protect millions of healthcare workers, the elderly and the most vulnerable patients from the worst effects of COVID-19. You have helped to save countless lives - thank you! These vaccines will help to protect the elderly and vulnerable people like Adiza, a grandmother in Benin. Grandmothers are the backbone of many African households as they look after the grandchildren and nurture them. Adiza has previously had surgery to remove a large tumour in her throat onboard our hospital ship, the Africa Mercy. Knowing that help is on its way is so reassuring for her. Your generous gift has been put to work to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to frontline workers as quickly as possible. Here are just some of the ways your support has had an impact.

The campaign had 3 aims, to: 1. Deliver vaccines to key workers and vulnerable people in West and Central Africa

‘In the fight against the virus, we are all in this together.’ António Guterres, The Secretary-General of the United Nations

And this is what you have helped to achieve: 1. Deliver 7.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been shipped, enough to fully vaccinate nearly 4 million people.

2. Train Nearly 14,500 health workers have been trained across more than 1,000 vaccination sites in West and Central Africa. Just over 9,000 community health workers have been trained on how to engage their communities to provide information on COVID-19 vaccines.

3. Share 8.9 million people have been reached with COVID-19 promotion messages.

2. Train healthcare workers to administer the vaccines 3. Share the news about the free vaccines to rural and remote communities

Above: Adiza her after surgery onboard the Africa Mercy.

LinkedIn /mercy-ships-uk

THANK YOU Thank you for your partnership. We can’t thank you enough for standing together with Africa.

mercyships.org.uk 11

By remembering Mercy Ships with a gift in your will you can provide life-changing surgeries to patients like Mansare and his family, who have no one to turn to for help. Your gift will put smiles on the faces of patients, remove crippling tumours and heal limbs for years and even decades to come. Discover how you can leave a truly lasting legacy of mercy, healing and hope at

legacy@mercyships.org.uk

Registered Charity No: 1053055. Registered Charity in Scotland No. SC039743. Company No: 3147724 (England and Wales)